On Tuesday, Democrat Doug Jones pulled off a stunning victory over Republican Roy Moore in Alabama. The race went down to the wire, but the Democrat prevailed. Here are five things to know about why Jones won, why Moore lost, and what it means for the future of the U.S. Senate and both parties. 1. Character matters. According to NBC News exit polls, 49 percent of Alabama voters thought the sexual assault accusations against Roy Moore were "definitely" or "probably" true. Republicans and Democrats split on partisan lines — a whopping 82 percent of Republicans said the allegations were "probably" or "definitely" false,

DEVELOPING…Democrat Doug Jones has defeated Roy Moore in Alabama’s Senate election, according to a projection from the Fox News Decision Desk.ORIGINAL STORY…The hard-fought Alabama Senate race between Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones remains too close to call, though a Fox News voter analysis shows the Democratic nominee enjoying a lead over his GOP rival. Jones’ competitiveness is a remarkable development in a deep red state that reflects just how badly Moore has been hurt by a sex scandal. But the race is still fluid. With 87 percent of precincts reporting, Jones and Moore both had 49.2 percent, according to

On Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” co-host Mika Brzezinski argued President Trump’s tweet about Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) constitutes sexual harassment and that people who work around the president and don’t try to get him to delete the tweet don’t care about the country or women. Brzezinski said, “I just want to say something, beyond the fact that it is reprehensible that the president of the United States would say something so derogatory and disgusting about a woman, we’re not surprised, Mr. President. You do it all the time. You treat women terribly, and you treat the women around

Franken announced last Thursday that he would be resigning “in the coming weeks” after eight different women accused him of groping or forcibly kissing them. “The timing of Franken’s resignation remains unclear, as is his motive in delaying it,” New York Magazine’s Ed Kilgore noted at the time. Franken has yet to offer any more specificity about when he’s going to follow through in resigning. Franken’s office did not return multiple requests for comment on the subject. Franken begrudgingly offered his resignation after 35 Democratic senators called on him to do so, three weeks after he was first accused

The family of the alleged ISIS-inspired Port Authority bomber said they were “heartbroken” by the attack on Monday and blasted law enforcement agencies for what they claimed were heavy-handed tactics by investigators. “We are heartbroken by the violence that was targeted at our city today and by the allegations being made against a member of our family,” said the statement read by Albert Fox Cahn, the Legal Director for the NY Chapter Council for Islamic Relations. “But we’re also outraged by the behavior of the law enforcement officials who held children as small as 4 years old out in the

President Trump attacked Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in a sexually suggestive tweet Tuesday morning that implied Gillibrand would do just about anything for money, prompting a swift and immediate backlash. “Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Charles E. Schumer and someone who would come to my office ´begging´ for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump,” the president wrote. “Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!”

Margaret Thatcher was born one. So were predecessor Prime Ministers Benjamin Disraeli and William E. Gladstone. Diana, the princess of Wales, too. Also William Pitt, who presided over the British victory in the French and Indian War and lent his name to Pittsburgh. And, according to some university authorities four decades ago, me as well. We were all born commoners. But — despite what newspapers, websites and television stations on both sides of the Atlantic have reported with wonder and wild-eyed delight — Meghan Markle, the actor who is to marry Prince Harry, is not a commoner. She’s an American, and

A supposed "rising star" at the State Department has resigned in anger over President Trump´s and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson´s policies. Elizabeth Shackelford gave her resignation letter to the left-leaning Foreign Policy magazine, which was, of course, all too happy to publish it. Shackelford´s letter says she believes the new administration has abandoned human rights as a priority, and shows disdain for the State Department´s diplomatic work. "I have deep respect for the career Foreign and Civil Service staff who, despite the stinging disrespect this Administration has shown our profession, continue the struggle to keep our foreign policy on the positive

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) faced criticism for saying that President Donald Trump “slut-shamed” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) with a non-sexual insult, Tuesday. After President Donald Trump made a post on Twitter claiming that Sen. Gillibrand “would do anything” for campaign contributions, Sen. Warren made her own post accusing Trump of “slut-shaming.” “Are you really trying to bully, intimidate and slut-shame @SenGillibrand?” asked Sen. Warren in her post. “Do you know who you’re picking a fight with? Good luck with that, @realDonaldTrump. Nevertheless, #shepersisted.” Are you really trying to bully, intimidate and slut-shame @SenGillibrand? Do you know who you´re picking a fight with? Good

President Donald Trump said Monday a bomb blast in Manhattan highlights the need for an immigration overhaul - as the man arrested was revealed to be part of a large Bangladeshi family sponsored by his aunt or uncle. Trump said that the U.S. ´must fix its lax immigration system, which allows far too many dangerous, inadequately vetted people´ into the country. The Republican president pointed to his controversial travel ban as an example of the kind of policy that needs to be put in place. And he called on Congress to end ´chain migration,´ in which family members are permitted to join relatives

MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski is still fired up about President Trump’s tweet mocking Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and took her frustrations out on first lady Melania Trump and first daughter Ivanka Trump. “[Trump] should have apologized for being a sexist pig,” Brzezinski said. “And the women around him, his wife, who has a platform against cyber bullying, that’s a joke. That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever seen.” Brzezinski then shifted her attention to Ivanka Trump, “Who came to Washington… to develop a platform for women,” but has stood by her father. “Go home. You’re doing nothing if you stand

Special prosecutors, investigators, and counsels are usually a bad idea. They are admissions that constitutionally mandated institutions don’t work — and can be rescued only by supposed superhuman moralists, who are without the innate biases inherent in human nature. The record from Lawrence Walsh to Ken Starr to Patrick Fitzgerald suggests otherwise. Originally narrow mandates inevitably expand — on the cynical theory that everyone has something embarrassing to hide. Promised “short” timelines and limited budgets are quickly forgotten. Prosecutors search for ever new crimes to justify the expense and public expectations of the special-counsel appointment. Soon the investigators need to